Is it safe to visit Ivory Coast? Travel Guide to Côte d’Ivoire

Last updated June 1st, 2023.

This guide may contain affiliate links. At no cost to you, they allow me to provide these free and, even if I do say so myself, expert guides based on almost two years of travel in Africa. For a broader view, don’t miss my complete guide to travel in Africa.

Is it safe to visit Ivory Coast? It’s a question I’ve been asked more than once.

This travel guide to Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) aims to be an introduction to a country largely unknown to the English-speaking world. It is nation that can be said to wear its heart on its sleeve. And in many ways, what you see if what you get.

Located on the Atlantic Ocean coast of West Africa, Ivory Coast is bordered by Liberia to the west. To its east lies Ghana. Its southernmost reaches are covered by dense, humid rainforest. Here you’ll find the sun-glinting towers of downtown Abidjan and spectacular beach escapes.

Stretching inland towards the drier Sahel region, Ivory Coast is bordered by Guinea, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Here visitors will find villages largely untouched by the modern world. One, Yamoussoukro, even became the post-independence capital.

Introducing Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast fell firmly within the French sphere of influence during the nineteenth century European colonisation of Africa. Taking control of the area in the middle 1800s, France united the territories of several tribal groups, including the Dan, Baule and Senufo. The borders have remained largely the same ever since.

The official use of ‘Côte d’Ivoire’ rather than ‘Ivory Coast’ isn’t the only relic of this rule. English is rarely spoken on the streets, and the country maintains very close ties with France. Its position within the West Africa CFA Franc zone has helped create a stable currency. It is guaranteed by the French treasury, and pegged to the Euro.

Ivory Coast gained full independence from France in 1960. At this time, it was the richest nation in West Africa, which led to many French nationals staying. The result is a cosmopolitan population, particularly in the country’s south. The good times didn’t last, however. It would take until the beginning of the twenty-first century to return to its same level of prosperity.

This is partly due to the fact that the country was ruled by one man from 1960 until 1993. When Félix Houphouët-Boigy died, power struggles led to two short civil wars and various outbreaks of fighting. Largely a battle between poorer north and richer south, the latest episode was ended by a short intervention by UN forces.

But it was victory at the African Cup of Nations in 2015 that really helped heal the country. Team members of ‘the Elephants’ came from both north and south of the country.

On the ground in Ivory Coast

Although it’s no longer the capital, Abidjan is still by far the largest city. It is home to the main international airport, variously known as Port Bouët and Félix Houphouët-Boigy airport. One of West Africa’s better-organized cities, Abidjan has a fine lagoon-side setting a short distance from Atlantic beaches.

You’ll want to linger in Abidjan for at least a day, and if you’re a night owl, maybe more. The city has some lovely hotels, an excellent nightlife, and restaurants effortlessly exuding Parisian chic. Then there’s the galleries, important museums and cultural institutions, all hidden among skyscrapers and some of the region’s best shopping.

When it comes to beaches, San-Pedro and Sassandra are personal favourites, closest followed by Grand-Lahou. Each are to the west of Abidjan. To the east, you’ll find Grand Bassam, a sleepy resort town with a fading colonial grandeur that’s hard to resist.

Northern regions

If it’s the wildlife that’s drawn you to Ivory Coast, the country has nine national parks. Situated in primary forest close to the Liberian border, Parc National de Taï is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It protects species as diverse as pygmy hippos and tool-using chimpanzees.

At the country’s northern extreme lies Parc National de Comoé, forming the largest area of protected land in West Africa. A key savannah landscape, a full-gambit of plains species can be found here, albeit in smaller concentrations than elsewhere in Africa.

Roughly midway between Taï and Comoé is the capital, Yamoussoukro. It became capital as the home village of Félix Houphouët-Boigy. Where once only 500 inhabitants lived modernist architecture now rubs shoulders with the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. One of the largest places of Christian worship in the world, it rivals the Vatican’s St Peter’s Basilica in look and size.

Is Ivory Coast safe to travel to?

Despite its difficulties, Ivory Coast is stable and generally safe to travel to. You’ll experience very little bother from officialdom, perhaps due to the large population of French-born residents. Calls of ‘le blanc!’, or ‘white man!’ are thankfully rare.

Road travel is relatively simple – and comfortable – compared to its near neighbours. Traffic accidents remain a risk however. Unsurfaced roads can turn near unnavigable during the wet season, which lasts from April until October.

The steady flow of tourists from France means the country’s main destinations are well-equipped with hotels and tourist infrastructure. The country’s government has also made a concerted effort to appear more welcoming in the run up of the 2023 African Cup of Nations football tournament. Taking place in Ivory Coast for the second time, it’s (oddly) running from January to February 2024.

Travel Guide to Ivory Coast

While Ivory Coast may not routinely appear in glossy English-language travel magazines, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth exploring. Hopefully this travel guide to Ivory Coast has proven this. It has wondrous Atlantic beaches to the south and big game to the north, as well as exciting cities in between!